Saskia Wassing-Shepherd, author of "Making Ottomans" in the August/September 2003 issue of Threads (#108), designs and makes soft and semi-soft furniture and accessories for the home, and has made available to us a small virtual portfolio of her work.

For more information, visit Saskia's Web site, www.saskiadesigns.com. If you'd like to try your hand at making an ottoman like those shown here, check out issue #108; and if you're interested in slippers with a similar flair, look for Saskia's article "Light on the Sole" in the December 2002/January 2003 issue of Threads (#104).

Saskia's stuffed-animal creations are one-of-a-kind, personal explorations of patternmaking and embellishment. They're about 10 to 12 inches tall, made without interior armatures, but sometimes include florist's wire to allow for positioning parts of the design in various ways.

The Disco Llama

Mad Morris

Petrushka Papink (with wired wings)

Playful pillows— most of which have removable covers— are embellished with Saskia's signature free-motion embroidery.